Stock tire diameter is about 23.4".

For 16x7 rim and 1" drop
Best size is 205/45-16 which fits rims 6.5-7.5" wide and has 23.3" tire diameter for best clearance and no rubbing.
See Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 $140 each 280 treadwear
Max Perf Summer tire for those that want very good wet and dry handling

In 205/45-16 (ultra HP Summer tires)
The S.Drive is $91 each 300 treadwear, not as good on wet handling.
General Exclaim UHP $67 each 380 treadwear while not as crisp for handling it works well in wet or dry and is more comfortable for street use
Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2 $144 each 240 treadwear, better blend of good handling wet or dry and good comfort, but higher price and faster wear.


215/55-16 fits rims 6-7.5" wide but is way too tall 25.4"!
225/50-16 fits rims 6-8" wide but is way too tall about 25"!
205/55-16 is also tall about 25".

For wider than 205 then
215/40-16 fits rims 7-8.5" wide, smaller than stock tire diam. 22.8"
1/2" more wheel gap than 205/45-16. Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3
215/45-16 fits rims 7-8" rims, tire diam 23.6"
225/40-16 fits rims 7.5-9" wide, is smaller than stock at 23""!
No tires match this size at tirerack.com and Toyo Proxes T1R are out of stock on this size

It's not worth the effort or risk to put different sized tires on front vs rear.
Same size on each is best.

Functionally the 205/45-16 will work fine. You also get a better selection of tires at decent prices.

A 215mm wide tire is only 10mm wider and you compromise a smaller or taller tire diameter which can look off balanced. You don't really gain that much performance for 10mm wider. 40 series sidewalls are stiff so handling is better but ride quality can suffer and if you have any potholes or bumpy roads you risk damage to your tires, rims or suspension if you hit any road hazard at speed.

 

I would not recommend the sizes you are talking about without fender modification. The 225/50R16 and 215/55R16 are just way too tall. You would really need to run 205/45R16 and if you want a wider tire it would be a 215/45R16 but the wider size may still need some fender mods.
If I can help let me know.

 

Hey Jim Im al looking to get 15x6.5 and a 38mm offset rims and I was wondering what kind of tires would I need to not rub If I am droped about 1.8 F 1.5R and If I plan on going lower would I rub even if I do the fender mod? Thanks.

 

Very Detail Information THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I know what I'm going to do!!

 

Thank you for your suggestion too!!! You are the BEST!! If I order tire from you will I get discount ??

 

I have a set of Rota RB's in 16x7 with a 40mm offset going on the Fit and was just shopping Tire Rack for tires. I didn't see them on the site before, but now I see they have the Yokoham Parada spec 2's in 205/45-16. I had those on my specV and loved them.

Should I get those or is there a different summer performance tire that you'd recommend above it?

 

I'm an idiot...I had Falken Azenis on my specV and loved them. Got to looking at the Parada's and those were on a friends car...they were only for looks...not a good tire.

Now I'm debating between the Potenza RE01R and the Toyo Proxes T1R...anyone have either of these?

 

i don't know if anybody has asked about this before in this thread (i thread searched and nothing came up.)

I just had my new tires mounted to my new wheels and balanced and placed on the car yesterday. today i noticed a bubble on the left front tire's sidewall right at the lip of the wheel. what do i do?

 

First, the wider the wheel WITHIN THE LIMITS set by manufacturer the more air pressure it takes to 'flatten out' the tread to the ground. That works for max cornering. Usually there is a manufacturer's recommended rim width for spec tire pressures. (see mfg plate)
Second the diameter and section of the tire (see TireRack.com tire specs) allowed is dependent on the offset of the wheel as that controls the outer and inner edges of the tire.
For the Fit we recommend minimum 42 mm offset for stock ride height and 45 mm offset for lowered ride height with a tire that is 23.5" diameter .(195/55x15, 205/45x16, or 205/40x17) and not over 205 section width. Stock offset is 55 mm.

 

[quote=Charles Lasitter;9034]Tires have specs for section width, rim width, and rim width range.
(Plus lots of other stuff).

Looking at a Pirelli PZero Nero 225/45-WR17, it lists a rim width of
7.5" and a rim width range of 7-9".

If this wide tire were mounted on a 17x7" wheel, it would seem that
the sidewalls would protrude a bit on either side, offering the rim
some small level of protection against curb scrubbing.

That would seem to be a good thing, but what I need to figure out is
if there are any handling / ride considerations for using a 7" rim
versus a 9" rim.

Any implications for sidewall flexing / rolling resistance / contact
patch / "spring" effect on a tire as a car enters a corner?

Tire designers generally expect maximum performance when the tread width (not section width) is equal to or slightly more (say 1/4 to 1/2") than the rim width. Thats why they say the recommended width is 7.5" as the tread width is likely about 7.75 to 8".
Only if you use a 8.5 or 9" rim width will the rim be unprotected as those Pirellis are molded with scuff protecton. But when the rim is much wider than the sidewall buckling takes place in hard sideloads so the rimlimit is 9". Even then I suspect there is enough buckling to reduce performance except at very high pressures. Which you will need to 'flatten' out the tread. As the beads are widened the tread tends to bow up in the middle so additiobnal tire pressure is needed to flatten it out for good road surface contact.
In short, stick with 7.5 +/- 0.5" rim width.
good luck.

 

I ordered Enkei RPF1 15x7 wheels. Will I need new lug nuts?

 

You would need different lugs. When we sell the wheel we send the lugs at no charge. If I can help let me know.

 

So, the lug nuts are about 2.1 oz each, I measured on my gram scale.

Now, if I were to buy 0.9 oz lightweight lugs, but then use one locking lug per wheel, isn't that going to throw off the balance?

 

Correct, so that is not recommended. Each lug nut should be the same weight for best balance and performance.

Use the heavier lug nuts with wheel locks of similar weight for general use and for performance driving or car shows use only the light alloy lugs no locks.

 

[quote=Charles Lasitter;9034]Tires have specs for section width, rim width, and rim width range.
(Plus lots of other stuff).

Looking at a Pirelli PZero Nero 225/45-WR17, it lists a rim width of
7.5" and a rim width range of 7-9".

If this wide tire were mounted on a 17x7" wheel, it would seem that
the sidewalls would protrude a bit on either side, offering the rim
some small level of protection against curb scrubbing.

That would seem to be a good thing, but what I need to figure out is
if there are any handling / ride considerations for using a 7" rim
versus a 9" rim.

Any implications for sidewall flexing / rolling resistance / contact
patch / "spring" effect on a tire as a car enters a corner?

Using a 7" rim width cuts the actual section by half the rim undersize; in other words a 225 tire width on 7.5" rim drops to 219 mm on a 7" rim. It also means a drop in tire pressure if you want to keep the tread flat on the ground.
Aside from that why would you want a 225 tire on a fit; its pretty difficult to get it in the fender and besides its too heavy and too big in diameter to have any use at all. Sorta like a VW bug with 255/50x15 tires. Thing couldn't get out of its own way.

 

The tires would fit fine on the 17X7 wheel. They are not going to fit fine on the Fit though. The 225/45R17 is going to stick out of the wheel well. The 225/45R17 is also going to be taller than the stock tires by 1 1/2".

 

hey i am getting some 15" konigs this weekend...i was wondering if anybody knows about how much it costs to get the tires put on and alignment or whatever is needed after putting them on?

 

It should be around 15.00 to 20.00 per tire. Check out our installers on our web site.

 

awesome thanks.

 

...just recently put ASA black painted with machined lip: 17X7 with Fusion 205-40X17. "FIT" just right; though could have gone 215-40X17. To lower the car more than 1 in. this WILL cause these tires (204-40X17) to rub a lot. Ride height seems a little higher though the 15's I took off were down to the wear marks. TireRack was very helpful... now if I get the wear that I got off original equipment (37500mi) I should not have to change tires any time soon! The tires have a 40000mi warranty.
I have gotten great response on how the wheels and tires look on the car. Thanx again to TireRack.